How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Harrisonville Pennsylvania
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Harrisonville PA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Harrisonville PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Harrisonville PA can perform a multitude of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Harrisonville PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Harrisonville PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Harrisonville PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Harrisonville PA grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Harrisonville PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Harrisonville PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Harrisonville residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Harrisonville PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
How Long To Become A Electrician Harrisonville Pennsylvania
Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Long To Become A Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Near Me. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Harrisonville PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Route 655
Pennsylvania Route 655 (PA 655) is an 83-mile-long (134 km) north–south state highway located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at the Mason–Dixon line in Thompson Township, where the road becomes a local road (Pennsylvania Avenue) in Hancock, Maryland. The northern terminus is at old U.S. Route 322 in Reedsville.
Most of PA 655 was once Pennsylvania Route 76. From 1930 to Spring 1964, PA 76 occupied what is now PA 655 from the Maryland state line to Pennsylvania Route 829 in Cass Township, as well as PA 829 from Cass Township to Mill Creek and PA 655 from Mill Creek to Reedsville. The section of present PA 655 between Saltillo and Mill Creek was designated part of PA 376. In spring 1964, PA 655 was assigned to its current alignment, replacing the PA 76 and PA 376 designations. This change was made to remove numbering conflicts that resulted from the designation of I-76 and I-376 in Pennsylvania.[1]
Pennsylvania Route 655 Truck is a truck route of PA 655 that bypasses a weight-restricted bridge over Saddlers Run on which trucks over 36 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. It was signed in 2013.
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